Yeah, like I really trust Menu and others to properly destroy all the recalled product. Details……(how and where, under what hazardous waste rules and inspections?) are what I want to know. And where is all the tainted product that was removed from acual store shelves or returned for refunds by pet owners? We saw pictures of piles of it sitting in grocery carts on news reports early in the recall process. Where did it all go? Also, what about that tainted product that may still be in America’s homes and/or has already been discarded in the garbage? I am so afraid this is another huge disaster waiting to happen when it ends up in America’s landfills to continue its insidious contamination.

I have been asking the “how is it being disposed of” question for weeks. I am happy to see it is finally being raised in the media but I am still not satified with the answers.

CHICAGO, IL — April 14, 1998 — Poor quality control measures in the manufacture of a children’s medicine were responsible for its contamination and the subsequent death of 88 Haitian children, according to an article in tomorrowâ€™s issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Katherine O’Brien, M.D., M.P.H., from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA., and colleagues investigated the deaths of 88 children caused by sudden kidney failure that occurred in Haiti between October 1995 and July 1996.

The researchers identified were 109 children with acute renal failure, of whom 88 died. Further investigation found that glycerin imported to Haiti from China through Europe was used in locally manufactured acetaminophen syrup and was found to be contaminated with diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic chemical with industrial uses including antifreeze, plasticiser and solvent.

The researchers believe that between 45 and 75 additional cases of DEG toxicity were averted by an intervention. Immediately following the discovery of the source of the toxin, notification went out through radio, television, newspapers and other sources.

“This outbreak highlights the challenges in developing countries where there may not be adequate regulation, enforcement, or strict implementation of current good manufacturing practice regulations in the pharmaceutical sector,” the researchers write. “Not only should strict quality control procedures be required in all countries where pharmaceutical products are manufactured, but these procedures must be consistently and fully applied, otherwise an outbreak such as this could occur even in countries where quality control procedures are usually strictly applied.

“It is likely that disasters such as these will continue to occur until strict quality control procedures are used consistently by all pharmaceutical manufacturers and until countries around the world adopt and enforce regulations that ensure the safety of pharmaceutical products.”

What I do not understand is why people are attacking Menu foods?? They are the first one to identify that there was a problem. And I see people are trying to sue them. What about the companies that left their product on the shelf for 7 to 10 days longer than menu. People be aware that bad news sells and the media is out there for a buck and that is it. The big news is pets dieing but our president can kill thousands of our soldiers for no reason and it never makes the news. What a world we live in. The fact is menu bought wheat gluten and it was tainted. As did numerous other pet food companies. The wheat gluten supplier is the one to point the finger at. There is no way on Gods green earth that companies can test for everything. And why would a company test for melamine?? That is used for ??????? who knows what. There are millions of chemicals out there. Each and every company has to do the right thing. The Chinese do not care about their people why should they care about our pets!!!! This is a slap in the face and then when asked they try to lie!! All products from china should be banned if they do not make this right!! That country had something like 300,000,000 food related illnesses last year. THEY FLAT DO NOT CARE!!